Members' Conduct

July 30, 2015

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) ( 14:17 :24 ): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking you, sir, a question about members' conduct.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: You may recall, and members may recall, that on 24 February this year, I asked you a question about the process for members of the public lodging complaints against, potentially, the President of the Legislative Council. I will just refresh members' memory as to my question:

…if a member of the public believes they have been subjected to inappropriate conduct by the President of the Legislative Council, to whom should they lodge [that] complaint about [the] conduct?

Your reply, sir, was:

I will take that on notice and bring back an answer as soon as possible.

My question to you, sir, is: have the 156 days since I asked that question been sufficient time for you to be able to give an answer to this chamber?

The PRESIDENT ( 14:18 :15 ): That question related to an article which was in, I think, InDaily. There were two sides to that story. I disagree with the version by the other party. It's a hypothetical and I am the President. If someone has a problem, I am the person they come to.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) ( 14:18 :36 ): So, Mr President, the process would be that a member of the public should come to you, rather than to a member of the Legislative Council? Can you just explain how that process should take place?

The PRESIDENT ( 14:18 :48 ): I must say, any member of the public can go to any member of the Legislative Council, if they have a particular issue, but this is all hypothetical. It has not occurred in my time as President, so it's purely hypothetical.